President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the full implementation of a subsidy on kidney dialysis in federal hospitals across Nigeria, reducing the cost of each session from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000.
This was announced on Monday by the president’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, and marked the rollout of a policy first unveiled in March 2025, but beset by delays and partial implementation in many centres.
Bwala stated that the intervention will bring relief to thousands of citizens battling kidney-related diseases.
Earlier this year, President Tinubu approved an 80 per cent subsidy to ease the financial burden on kidney patients, many of whom require dialysis two or three times weekly. While the initiative was welcomed at the time, several investigations revealed that five months after the announcement, the new pricing had yet to take effect in many hospitals.
Patients in some centres were still paying between ₦35,000 and ₦100,000 per session, raising concerns over the sincerity of implementation.
Monday’s announcement suggests that the government has now moved to close those gaps, with the subsidy already being implemented in ten major hospitals across all six geopolitical zones. These include FMC Ebute-Metta, Lagos; FMC Jabi, Abuja; University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan; FMC Owerri; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri; FMC Abeokuta; LUTH, Lagos; FMC Azare; University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin; and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar.
Bwala confirmed that additional federal medical centres and teaching hospitals will be added to the programme before the end of the year to expand access nationwide.
“These measures demonstrate the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda in action, ensuring that no Nigerian is denied healthcare because of cost,” Bwala said.
Healthcare professionals have welcomed the renewed implementation, noting that the subsidy could significantly reduce the financial burden on families. A single patient can require up to 12 dialysis sessions per month, which previously amounted to about ₦600,000 monthly at private or unsubsidised rates.
“This intervention, if sustained, is a lifeline,” said a nephrologist in Lagos, adding that the policy must be coupled with investments in preventive care, early detection, and more dialysis machines to meet rising demand.
It is reported that Nigeria currently has an estimated 20 million people at risk of chronic kidney disease, driven by conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and poor dietary habits. Yet, fewer than 350 dialysis machines are available nationwide, serving over 230,000 patients.
If fully delivered, the reduction to ₦12,000 per session could mark a turning point in the battle against kidney disease in Nigeria, transforming dialysis from a luxury few can afford into a more accessible form of life-saving treatment.
